Bloody Lips
by Formless
Summary: When Aki discovers a group of vampires studying in her school, her life has taken a turn for the worst. Or has it? Featuring the GazettE, Mao of SID and MIYAVI.
1. When a Dare becomes the Truth

I hate this. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. It was bad enough that I had lost a bet. Kara won over me, so she dared me to walk alone nearby the mansion in town. The mansion was indeed grand, but something was creepy and scary behind its rusted gates. Some people have gone missing when they walked in, others who returned claimed to see blood stains all over the place. Pft. I didn't believe in any of those old town gossip, so I didn't make such a big deal of coming here. The worst things happened during dismissal time. I opened my locker, and my eyes went wide. It was _the card_. What is _the card_? Well, actually, it's a piece of black paper with silver writing on it. What's written on it was the Heart Sutra, a Buddhist incantation. At the back were dark blotches and splatters, and it smelled like blood. Students in Shouku Academy are afraid of this card. The others suddenly drop out of school, most end up in the hospital. Now, I got the card. It creeped me out, because this was the first time that a girl would recieve it. The whole school avoided me, but I understand. They just want to save their skins. I clutched the card in my jacket as I walked on the dusty sidewalk near the mansion. The air was chilly, and the atmosphere was mystical. Worse, I can't help but feel someone following me. There was a snap, and I stopped. I could feel my hairs stand. I couldn't move in fear, but I wanted to run. After a minute of silence, I started walking again. After two steps, I felt it. A pair of arms around me, holding me from behind. I could feel heavy breathing on my ear. "Ah!-" I exclaimed in pain as I felt teeth sink into my neck. No, these aren't teeth... they're _fangs._ Sharp ones. A ripple of pain went coursing throughout my body, and I was paralyzed. I felt myself crashing to the ground, but I blacked out before I hit the pavement. "Sleep." a low, yet mystical voice commanded. My eyelids became heavy, and I passed out all of a sudden.

xXx-[ ]-xXx

"She's so fucking young, Rei."

"I know that."

"Then why keep her? You know the consequences."

"Brothers, trust me on this. I know what I'm doing."

"Just make sure."

"Hold on, she's awake."

My eyes fluttered open, and there was bright light. I covered my eyes with my hand and groaned. I sat up, and let my eyes adjust to the brightness. I saw seven guys, all familiar. They're what we call the _Shichi Fukujin (aka ShiFu) _in school. "What... Where am I?" I asked. "You're in our mansion. How do you feel?" I heard one say. My vision was still blurry, and I couldn't make out who it was. "For sure, you recognize us. We're... from your school." I nodded. "I'm Miyavi, and these are Mao, Ruki, Uruha, Aoi, Kai and Reita." he introduced. I could finally see, and gasped softy. These guys were different from the Shichi Fukujin we see in school. Their faces were paler, and each had blood red eyes. Somehow, their lean, muscular figure was seen, and they were actually _speaking_. "How do you feel?" Kai asked me. I winced. "I know, it's a bit disorienting. Don't worry." he comforted. It was hard not to stare at Kai as he spoke like that. In school, they were... intimidating, to say the least. I suddenly jerked as I felt intense pain on my neck. My hand flew to the source, and I grunted. "Reita... behave." Aoi scolded. Reita scoffed in reply. "What am I doing here? What's going on?" I asked. Ruki turned to the others before he spoke, his low voice echoing in the room. "You see... we're vampires." he said. I laughed. "Can't you give me something better than that?" I said. They all looked at me as if I were insane. "We're not... lying." Miyavi explained. I stared at all of their faces, and realized that they were telling the truth. "Impossible." I whispered. "It _is_ possible. We exist. We're not like any of your mythical vampires." Uruha continued. I kept silent in shock, and listened as they explained. "You see, when a vampire injects his venom on a human of the opposite sex... that person is tied to the vampire." Aoi said from the corner of the room. "We call it a bride if it's a girl, and vassal for a boy." I nodded. This was all dificult to take in. "The one who bit you is the only one allowed to drink your blood. It's a strong connection, and it can never be broken." Aoi continued explaining. I bit my lip. What a mess I had gotten myself to. "So... why did you choose me?" I asked. They all looked at each other. "We didn't." Mao said. "He did." He pointed to a tall figure leaning against the door. The corner of his lips curved upward to form a conniving smile. It was Reita. Of all the guys, why him? He was suddenly standing beside my bed, his finger on my chin. He lifted it to have a better look at my face. "Guess I made the right choice..." he murmured to himself. I cringed away from contact and bowed my head down. "It's irreversible... right?" I asked. "Hai." Ruki answered. I sighed in disappointment. After a few moments, I suddenly noticed the time. "Oh my, it's late!" I exclaimed. My watch read ten o'clock in the evening. I stood up, but I lost my footing. Kai caught me by the elbow, and I blushed. He sat me back on the bed and smiled. "You'll stay here." he said. "What? I can't! I have to go to school, and..." I stood up, and attempted to walk out of the room. I stopped suddenly, and kneeled to the ground. I was on all fours, and my head went spinning. I couldn't see straight, and my body felt weak. I looked up to see Reita, smiling devilishly. I groaned softly. "Relax... not like it's going to hurt or anything..." he murmured into my ear. I wanted to push him off, but I didn't have the strength. "Reita, it's not fair to bewitch her." Mao scolded. Reita only laughed at his words. "I hate you." I managed to say. "Yeah, I know. Sleep, babe." he replied. He placed his hand on my eyes, and I immediately fell asleep.

I woke up with Mao by my side. "Hey." he greeted with a smile. I sat up and looked around the large bedroom. "They all went to school..." he explained. "Ah!~ I have to go too~" I said as I pulled the blanket out of my way. "No no no, definitely not~" Mao sang as he pushed me back. His eyes glowed a soft blue, and I immediately felt something weird. Like... I wasn't in the mood to go to school. "Sorry, but the guys told me to watch over you for today. And Reita..." he didn't continue. I sighed in frustration. "You see, I don't really understand what's going on... I don't know why you guys are making the effort for me..." I almost whispered. I looked up to his eyes, and he smiled in return. His smile seemed to make the room glow brighter, even in the sunlight.

"You'll see."


	2. Unpredictable

"Ehm... Here, it's your new room..."

I gaped. The room was large, with white walls and matching furniture. In the middle of the room was a bed, although it may be too big for me. There was also a dresser, a desk and a shelf. "Make yourself at home." Kai said with a blinding smile. I nodded and he slipped out of the room. I sat down on the soft bed and sighed. Surely, things will be different from now on. Who knew that the_Shichi Fukujin_ were actually _vampires_? I should have noticed! That would explain their ability to go on without food and color-changing eyes... This is, honestly, cool! It's like I'm in a real life Twilight or something... but Kai's words echoed in my ears.

_Living with us may seem exciting, but you must remember that we're all dangerous to you. All the time._

Dangerous? I don't see it as a threat at all... They all seem quite calm and relaxed around me. Kai and Mao could even hold my hand without any difficulty. I really don't see the danger in being close to them. I mean, if they can control their thirst while in school... being surrounded by hundreds of human students... they can control it with just one human around them... right?

xXx-[ ]-xXx

_Wrong._

I sat down in the study, were it was mostly quiet. The tall shelves were filled with books that were around for who knows how long. The others were in thick volumes, always updated with the newest releases. It was of no particular topic either. Occult, fantasy, history... you name it. It could've been a library, to say the least. I buried my mind in the book we were reading for English class. The silence was eerie, but calming. The door creaked open, and I jumped. I turned to the large mahogany door, to see Miyavi standing there. "Ah, Miyavi-niichan, Mao..." I recognized. "Did I disturb you? Gomen~" Mao apologized. "Ah, it's okay." I assured and turned back to my reading. I heard their heavy footsteps, and heard one pull out a book. I turned the page, and flinched. "Ow." I exclaimed.

Paper cut.

After that, everything came in a blur.

What I remember of it was something jump in front of me, tackling me down to the ground. I saw Mao flash beofre me, but Miyavi knocked him off. "Mao-" My head hit the thick carpet, and I gasped. Miyavi's face was inches from mine, his knees on either side of my hips. He snarled, and my heart suddenly went pounding. I could see his ultrawhite fangs, his eyes burning blood red. "Miyavi!" My eyes flashed to the door, where the others were standing. Kai ran over and pulled Miyavi off me. "You okay?" Uruha asked as I sat up. I was too dazed to answer. "Aoi, take Miyavi. Uruha, hold your breath. There's blood..." Kai immediately ordered. Uruha's hand flew to his mouth. Kai helped me sit up. "Are you okay? Your arm..." he asked in concern. "Yeah... but, Mao..." I mumbled in a daze. I saw Mao, rolling in pain. He groaned as Kai rushed over to him. "Shit... Reita, can you carry Aki downstairs? I'll take care of Mao... Ruki, get my bag." Kai ordered. Reita scooped me up and carried me in his arms. He ran so fast that my head spun, and I didn't even notice that he went down the stairs. He set me down on the couch, his mouth hovering over my ear. "Relax... Kai will be here any second." he assured. I might have pushed him away if I had the strength. Kai was down in seconds, carrying Mao in his arms. Ruki followed closely behind him. Kai lay Mao down, and I could see the extent of the damage. His shirt was torn, and his skin was slashed with black blood. I gasped softly. "Hell... Kai, her arm..." Reita turned to Kai. I noticed my arm, which had three short slashes. Blood came trickling down my skin. "Fuck... Reita can you fix it? I have to stitch up Mao's wounds..." Reita nodded in reply. Ruki and Kai were suddenly busy, and I could hear Mao groan-almost scream-in pain. Reita crouched down beside me, and I winced. "Ch-chotto matte-" I flinched when I felt his cool tongue run over the thick slashes, my hand gripping the fabric on the couch. "That should do it." he said when he pulled back. There was blood on his pale lips, his tongue licking them clean. My wounds felt like they were burning. On the other hand, I could see my wound slowly closing, the pain was slowly fading away. "Venom burns, but it heals." Reita explained as he saw my expression. I lay back, trying to slow my breathing down. What happened was totally unexpected... for me. "How do you feel?" Kai asked me. "Fine." I lied. He didn't buy it. "Sorry about Miyavi... he had a different kind of upbringing, you see." Kai explained. His eyes were bitter, not the sunshine I know. "I'll take her to her room." Reita volunteered. Before I could say a word, he carried me again and ran up all the way to my room. He set me down by the door, and stared at me with those piercing eyes. "We warned you to be careful." he said in a serious tone, his voice unwavering. He flipped me around so that I was facing him, his hand pinning me against the door and his lips on my neck. My breath hitched. "Most of us have yet to perfect our self-control... like me." he murmured. I gasped, and my eyes widened. Not again... He chuckled soflty as he backed away. "Oyasumi." he said as his thumb brushed my cheek. I flinched back and hurried inside my room. I shut the door, but I could hear him laughing. I scoffed. He was so cocky. He acts like he knows everything. He's so annoying. Why did he have to be _my_ host vampire? Why did _I_ have to be his bride? Ugh.

The morning was slightly better. I ate breakfast alone, not until Kai and Miyavi joined me. "Aki-chan, gomen~" Miyavi apologized. "Ah, it's okay, Miyavi-niichan. I'm alright now, so don't worry." I assured him. His eyes still carried concern, but he was careful around me. He was careful not to touch my skin again, or stay too close. "Ah, I forgot my wallet..." Miyavi suddenly blurted, and he was gone in a snap. Kai sighed, seeeing how forgetful Miyavi can be. "Kai-niichan, do you know someplace I could get a job?" I asked. He eyed me suspiciously. "A job? What for?" he asked me, curiosity burning behind his words. "Eto... I'm running low on allowance, you see..." I explained. "Ah... It's alright, maybe I-" "Ah!~ Iie, Kai-niichan... I wanted to do this on my own..." I knew what he was about to offer. I couldn't bother them anymore, since they already provided me a place to stay in. He thought for a moment, his eyes deep in thought. I waited as I ate, hoping that he could help...

"Well, there is one..."


	3. Solutions

"Aki-chan~"

He pinched my cheek again, and I flinched away. I didn't complain, because that would taunt him to annoy me even more. He kept on annoying me until we reached the parking lot, where the others were waiting. "Aoi, I want one..." "Here." Aoi handed Ruki a cigarette, and lit it up for him. "Ano... I won't be riding home with you guys today..." I said. "Ah, okay." Uruha responded, but I could tell he was confused. "Take care." Kai said with a smile. Only Kai knows where I was going. I nodded and went my way. I could still hear their voices as they conversed. "Where's she going?" "Work." "Eh~ Aki-chan has work?" I got on a bus and slowly made my way to the hotel. The hotel wasn't that large, but it was decent enough. I got in and showed them some papers. "I'm new..." I said. "Ah, yes. Kana-chan, will you accompany her?" the woman at the desk called. A girl, maybe two or three years older than me, came to us. "Ah, you're the newbie? Welcome to the job~" she said. I bowed slightly, and I could feel myself blushing. She showed me around, briefing me on the duties to be done. She gave me three sets of uniforms, which looked like a waitress uniform. White polo, black vest, black pants... the usual. "We try to keep it formal here, I hope you understand." Kana-san said. "Ah, it's okay." I said. "Working student, huh? You'll never get a boyfriend at this rate!" she teased. I almost choked out. "Eh... I'm not looking for a relationship right now..." I said. "Uo~ Then if you have some guy friends, introduce Kana, okay?" she said. I giggled. "Sure thing." I said and got started on the job. The day ended late, as there were so many things to do. When I checked out, it was already seven p.m. "Good work today~" Kana said as I slung my bag over my shoulder. I gave a smile. "I'll be going~" I said as I stepped out of the back door. It was dark outside, but the street lamps gave off a warm glow. The streets were still busy, and people were still walking by. I reached the mansion about a half-hour later, and some of the lights were on. I walked to the large living room, my eyes adjusting slightly to the dark. "Where were you?" a deep voice asked from the corner. It didn't take a detective to know who it was. "Work." I promptly answered. "None of your business." I walked to my room, not waiting to see his reaction. I didn't need his approvement or anything. Kai gave me a chance to be at my own pace, and he can't do anything about it. I changed into more comfortbale clothes and went immediately went to sleep.

After a week, I suddenly realized why Kai was reluctant to send me to work.

After school, I would immediately go to work. It wasn't easy, but it'll have to do. It was hard work everyday. I'm tired and sleepy by the time I get home, but I still have to study. I would study until late hours, and finally go to bed. It was tiring. Kimiko must have noticed. I must admit, I could see myself getting paler everyday. Oh well. I have no other choice. "Aki-chan?" Kimiko asked. "Hai?" I answered abruptly, lost in my train of thought. "Would you like some?" she said, offering me cookies. "Ah, arigatou." I said as I took one. "Aki-chan, are you okay? You seem light-headed lately..." Mie-chan noticed. "Gomenasai~ I've been busy lately." I said as an excuse. "Ah, is it because of work?" she asked. I nodded silently as I ate. "Wow... I don't think I can handle working and study at the same time..." Kimiko mused. "It's because Kimi-chan is so lazy~!" Mie teased. "Eh? What about you?" "Eto... I have a boyfriend, so... besides, my parents still pay for my tuition and allowance!" The two kept on talking about things I cannot relate with, and their voices became a distant hum in the background. I kept on reading, when I felt Mie's elbow nudge me a bit. "Reita-kun is staring at you." she whispered, and I heard Kimiko giggle. "Eh? Don't look at him..." I said, trying to look innocent. I glanced at his direction, and I could see his eyes brooding. "Omo~ He looks a bit scary." Kimiko mused. I shot her a puzzled look. If only she knew that he was more frightening than she thinks he is. "Ne ne, do you think they're all related? The _Shichi Fukujin_, I mean..." Mie asked us. She said the group name with reverence, which made me want to laugh. "They don't look related to each other." I said. "Yeah, but Ruki-kun and Reita-kun have the same hair color, right? And Kai-senpai and Miyavi..." Mie noticed. "They don't look like each other at all." I said. Kimiko nodded. "But I think Uruha-kun has beautiful eyes. I saw them, they were a sort of lavander." Mie reacted in awe. "Sugoi~ Do you think he wears contacts? I don't think they're allowed..." she thought aloud. The two giggled softly. They were like fan girls, or something. It was weird, maybe because I know the truth and they don't. From the corner of my eye, I saw Reita laugh. It was almost as if he knew what I was thinking, or he had heard our conversation. Weirdo. At the end of the schhol day, I knew I had to run to work. I immediately went to my locker, and hurriedly fixed all of my stuff. I closed the locker door with a bang, and jumped. Reita was leaning against the lockers, his hand in his pockets. "Work again? When are you going to quit?" he asked me. I huffed as I slung my bag over my shoulder. I told him this was none of his business. Instead of leaving, he took my hand gently, and I could feel his thumb brush over my knuckles. "I feel alone when you're not around..." he murmured, almost whispered. I flinched back and pulled my hand off his. I dashed past him, and out to the school parking lot. I could read Mao's worried expression, and Kai looked concerned. For once, work wasn't that heavy. There were fewer people in the hotel restaurant, which was rare. "Thanks for the hard work~" Kana said as I change out of my uniform. "Ehh~ Kana, look! He's so pretty, I can't tell if he's a boy or girl." one of our co-workers called. We both peered out of the window, and I gasped. A tall figure leaned against the lamp post, his arms crossed over his chest. He wore a black hoodie and denim, and I could tell from here who it was. "Mao." I whispered. "Eh? You know him?" Kana asked me, surprised. "Ah~ hai... he's a friend..." I said, but she didn't look convinced. I coughed, and went outside. "Ah, Aki-chan." he said as I half-ran to him. "I came to fetch you." I blushed a bit, and he smiled. "So... this is where you work, eh? Nice place." he commented as he looked around. "Ah, sou..." I answered. I still couldn't believe he was here. "Well, then, ikousen!" he said as he took my hand. I could feel my cheeks burn again. We walked home together, laughing and talking about random things. I laughed until my stomach hurt. I can't remember the last time I had fun like this. Heck, in that moment, I even forgot the fact that Mao was a vampire. "Tadaima~" I said as we entered the mansion. "Okairinasai~" Uruha called over his shoulder. He sat on the couch, reading. Aoi was at his feet, busy working over his laptop. That's weird. Reita would usually be here when I got home... "Aki-chan, are you hungry?" Mao asked me. "Ah, iie. I'll go study now." I said and headed to my room. I was tempted to check on Reita's room if he was there, but I stopped. Why would I be looking for him? Besides, it's his choice if he wanted to wait for me... right? I shook it off and headed to my own room. I pulled my books out, and started working on my homework. After a while, I heard Reita outside my room. "Is she home?" "Yeah~" "You didn't have to fetch her, Mao. She can get home on her own." "I know, but I wanted to." Undoubtedly, Reita wasn't happy about the fact that Mao fetched me.

I wonder why?


	4. Begging

"Aki?"

Reita reluctantly peeked into her room. Aki was bent over her desk, her head resting on her arms. Her eyes were closed in sleep. Reita sighed and stepped over to her._ Aish, this girl..._ he thought. He gently caressed her face, his fingers running over her smooth skin. His eyes glanced at the clock, which read 12:00 am. _Overtime again,_ he thought. He detested the idea of sending her to work, but Kai acted on impulse. Kai should have asked Reita first. He was puzzled, though. Aki knows that she's sacrificing a lot to continue working. Why doesn't she quit? Doesn't she know that it's bad for her? He sighed in defeat. This girl was going to stop at nothing. He wasn't even surprised at all when she stirred, and her eyes gently fluttere open. She looked surprised when she saw Reita. "Reita-kun... what are you doing here?" she said as she sat up. "You should really quit work, you know." Reita said, ignoring her question. She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. "You know I can't do that." "Yes you can. Money's not a problem with us." he reasoned out. "I don't need your help." she replied. Reita sighed, a small smile formed on his lips. His eyes glowed red, and she immediately felt dizzy. "I hate you, Reita." she groaned as she clutched her forehead. "I'm just trying to help you." Reita said darkly. "Weak women have bitter tasting blood." Her eyes widened at his words. Weak women's blood taste bitter? So that was all he cared about? She stood up and tried to flip him off, but he pulled her by the wrist and tackled her down to the bed. Her eyes went wide as she felt his breath on her neck, making her shiver. "Quit it." he ordered. "I won't." she pressed stubbornly. "I'm doing this for your sake. Although, I don't mind getting to this part..." he murmured softly, and she could feel his cold lips on her collarbone. Her breath hitched, and he could hear her heart fly. "It's hard to be rational when you're like this." he mumbled. The door slammed open, revealing Kai leaning against the door frame. "Kai..." he recognized. "I'm sorry, it seemed like you were having Aki-chan for dinner, and I wondered if you would share." Kai said with sarcasm in his voice. "Sorry," Reita said. "But I don't think there's anything left to share." He chuckled before kissing her neck, and he pushed himself off. He straightened his shirt out as Aki sat up. Kai smirked, and Reita chuckled. Reita took one last glance at Aki before walking out of the room. "Gomenasai, Aki-chan. Reita is a bit out of control lately." Kai said as he sat down beside Aki. "Kai-niichan..." she murmured, her head hung low. "Hm?" "Imawa... Reita told me... that... weak women... have bitter tasting blood?" she forced out. "Ah, Reita-kun told you that..." Kai mused. "Well, that's true. That's why we don't hunt sick people. Nasty blood. Health is important, if you're a hanayome. (AN: Hanayome is Japanese for bride) So..." Kai explained. Aki sighed audibly, and bit her lip hard. "Being a hanayome... is a responsibility... right?" she asked. "Sou desu." Kai answered promptly. They were silent for a few moments. "Ah.. I'll go now... Oyasumi nasai, Aki-chan." Kai said. "Oyasumi," Aki replied before Kai went out and closed the door softly behind him. She sighed heavily, and lowered herself back on the bed. She closed her eyes, a million thoughts racing through her mind.

_Blood... I wonder if it's the solution?_


	5. Lesson Learned

"Take care on the way home~"

"Hai."

I walked out into the almost empty streets. It was already ten in the evening, and I had overtime again. Sigh. I wonder if they're still awake? Or if Reita would be waiting for me at home... I didn't see him wait for me since last week... Maybe he was mad at me? I kept on thinking about him lately... and it was weird. I can't get him out of my head. During classes, and during work, his face keeps appearing in my head. How he shot me with a disappointed look when I told him... Oh, who cares. It was fine as long as I'm not hurt... right? I stopped walking when I heard footsteps behind me. The footsteps stopped. It must be Reita... but even so, my heart started pounding. My palms felt sweaty. I walked again, walking briskly this time. I could hear the footsteps following me, and it was slightly getting louder. I half-ran, but he caught up to me. He wound his arm around my neck, and I could feel his cool blade against my neck. "Don't move." he ordered in a husky voice. This was definitely not Reita. I sucked in a deep breath and went for it. I pulled on his arm, and it slipped off. I pushed him away, and fel on the cold sidewalk. Big mistake. I saw the knife in his hand, its tip glistened in the dark. I gasped, and looked away as he charged for me. I prepared myself, knowing how this would end. But a strange sound startled me. Something was wrong. I looked up, and...

"Reita!"

He fell to the cold pavement, lifeless. I rushed over to him, and saw black blood everywhere. His face, his shirt, on the sidewalk. I looked up, and saw the man running away. His knife clattered to the floor, and I fet hot tears sting my eyes. I immediately pulled my phone out, and called. I pressed the phone to my ear and listened to it ring. Reita felt cold on my lap, but his chest heaved. He was still breathing, but how long can he hold on? I tried not to dwell too much on the thought. "Moshi moshi?" a familiar voice said. I sighed in relief.

"Aoi? It's Aki. Please, you need to come here now."

xXx-[ ]-xXx

"Aki-chan?"

I stood up at the sound of my name. I had been waiting for a long hour ever since Miyavi and Aoi carried Reita home, and Kai took care of the rest. Mao kept me company while I waited in anxiety. "How is he?" I asked Kai, concern leaking into my voice. I didn't care. "He's fine." he answered. I saw Kai's hands drenched in black blood, and gasped softly. "The wound was deep, but he's healing. Problem is that he's healing too slow, and he's probably getting weaker by the minute. If he drinks human blood, that might speed up the process." he explained. Human blood... mine. "Is he awake? Can I talk to him?" I asked. "Be my guest." he said and stepped aside. Reluctantly, I walked into his room.

My heart skipped a beat at what I saw.

Reita sat up on the bed, and a few pillows on his back. He lay his head back, his eyes gently closed. I could see his fist curled into a ball, and his legs were covered by a blanket. His whole torso was wrapped with bandages, but there were blood stains near his chest. His chest heaved as he breath in slow sighs, as if he was trying to calm himsef down. I was hesitant to walk closer to him. He looked so fragile, and my heart shattered to see him like this... even though we weren't close. But to see this and know that it was_ my_ fault, that he got hurt for _my _sake... heartbreaking. "What are you doing here?" he said. His eyes stayed closed, but his voice was unwavering. "I wanted to see you. Kai told me-" "Fuck what Kai said." he cut me off. I glared at him half-heartedly. "He said you need human blood to heal." I murmured. His eyes flew open, only to glare at me. I started to lean nearer to him, but I suddenly felt his hand gently under my chin. "I don't need it." he mumbled. "What?" was all I could say. "I said I don't need it. I don't need your blood." he said, glaring staright into my eyes. I flinched back. Was he insane? He won't get better at this rate. He looked away, and his hand flew to his chest. He sighed deeply, and I knew he had a hard time breathing. My eyes flickered to the night stand, where Reita's switchblade lay beside the lamp. I took it and and flipped it open. "Oi, what are you doing?" he suddenly said. I ignored him and brought the sharp end to my wrist. I flinched a little at the pain as the blade cut through my skin, and then there as throbbing pain. A drop of blood trickled out. "You really are stubborn, aren't you?" he said mockingly. He pulled my wrist, and his lips lightly brushed my skin. He took in a shaky breath before engulfing the cut in his mouth, and he sucked lightly. His eyes gently closed, and he pulled away. I didn't realize that I had sat down beside him on the bed. His natural color returned, but he didn't free my hand. He set my palm against his cheek and smiled. "You're so warm." he whispered almost inaudibly. I smiled. It was better seeing him like this. He slowly pulled me against him, tucking my head under his chin. "Thank you." he murmured into my hair. "No, thank _you_," I said. He saved my life, and he deserves this. I felt him smile. "Don't you want to go to sleep? It's late." he said when I pulled away. "It's Saturday tomorrow." I reminded him. His head cocked to the side. I laughed quietly to myself. "Okay, I'll go and sleep now. I have something to do tomorrow." I said. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity, but he didn't object. He leaned in and gently kissed my forehead. "Oyasumi nasai." he whispered. "Sleep well." I said before standing up and heading out.

xXx-[ ]-xXx

"I'll see you around, Kana-niichan!"

"Aww... why'd you resign, anyway?" as she gave me that annoyed look. I sighed. "...Someone told me to." I answered. "Your boyfriend?" she asked. I flinched back. Reita wasn't my boyfriend. "N-no!" I said. I could feel myself blushing. "Is he the one who fetched you a while back?" she pressed excitedly. My eyes widened. "Mao?" I answered without thinking. "Yeah. The blonde guy. Is he your boyfriend?" she asked. I laughed and shook my head. She thought _Mao_ was my _boyfriend_. "Kana! Get back to work!" the manager yelled. We both laughed and I gave her a hug. "I'll drop by sometime, okay?" I said. "Sure, darling." Kana said. I bade goodbye to my _former _workmates and headed home. The air of freedom wafted towards me. It felt great, although I'll surely miss Kana. I walked home to find Mao in the living room. How ironic. "Oh, okairinasai~" he greeted as he practically jumped _over_ the couch and gave me light hug. "Hey, Mao." I said, and smiled as I hugged him back. "Mattaku... I still have a ton of homeworks to finish..." he mumbled. "I'll tutor you." I winked. His head cocked to the side. "Eh? Don't you have work?" he asked. I laughed as we walked up to the study.

"No."


	6. Jealousy

"Eto... Aki-chan... I don't understand this one..."

I leaned across the table as he explained to me what he was having difficulty with. It was a bit complicated, and I couldn't blame him. I took my pencil and explained the process to Mao carefully. He nodded at some points, and would ask questions when he didn't understand. "Can I try?" he asked. "Sure." I said, and handed him the text book. Our hands touched briefly when I handed him the pencil, and I felt myself blush. "Eto... Aki-chan, you're pretty good at this!~" he said. "Ah? Eh..." I was too embarassed to say anything sensible. He laughed softly and started writing. "Mao-kun," I called out softly. There was something I wanted to ask him for some time now. I was dead curious. "Mao-kun, I noticed that you were the only one of the ShiFu to interact with other students." I said. He nodded, signalling me to continue, though his hand was still busy in writing. "So... why is that?" I asked. His blue eyes looked like they were deep in thought. He scribbled a bit before speaking. "I want to belong." he answered promptly. I wasn't satisfied. "What do you mean?" I pressed as he handed me his work. "Has Kai ever told you how I became a vampire?" he asked me as I went over his work. He did it perfectly this time. "No." I answered as I handed it back to him. He sighed in relief. "You see, my... _previous_ life wasn't happy at all." he said. I nodded, and he continued. "I was born Dhampir." he said. My head cocked to the side. "Dhampir?" I asked. "Half-human, half-vampire." he explained. I felt a small 'oh' form at my lips. "It wasn't easy, because all of the Dhampir were considered outcasts. We are product of a mortal sin that a vampire commited." he said. I could hear pain in his voice, and it reflected in his deep eyes. "So... they kind of hated me for that. They called me names. They told me that my blood was dirty and all." he continued. It must have been hard for him. He took a shaky breath before continuing his story. "It was pretty hard, growing up like that. When I had a cut, my blood would be dark red. Not black. My father was disppointed, but I never failed him in studies. I studied hard, you see. There was a lot to learn. And then, my father had trouble with finding a successor. He ran a business in the vampire world, you see. He was in charge of hunting humans, or the vampires would shrivel up and die of thirst." His eyes were far away now, and his lips curved to a bitter smile. "They didn't want me. Because of my 'dirty blood'. So I ran away from home, because of depression. My father tried to help me in the best way he can, but it all came crashing down at the word 'Dhampir'. I was 27, but I looked like 17." "Wait." I cut him. His eyes flashed to mine. "What do you mean you were 27 but you looked like 17?" I asked. He smiled. "Dhampir age, but at a very slow pace. I was late in aging by ten years." he explained. "Oh, I see... go on, then." I urged him. "So... another vampire found me. He thought I was human, and I guess he was thirsty... so he bit me, turning me to full-fledged vampire. It was incredibly painful." He flinched at the memory, and his hand ran over his scar on his neck. "I didn't want to go back. Miyavi found me, and took me to Kai. So... there. That's why I'm here." he ended, with a relieved sigh. But I wasn't going to let him stop there. There's a lot I wanted to know. "So... what can you do?" I asked. He cocked an eyebrow. "Is this an interview?" he laughed. I rolled my eyes playfully. "I tutored you in a goddamn difficult subject... at least give something back." I said. We both laughed. "Okay, okay." I heard him say between laughs. "Kai-niichan said that each one of you has a unique ability... what's yours?" I asked again. He looked out the window. My head cocked to the side. Wasn't he going to tell me? Should that be a secret?

Then, I felt it.

My heart suddenly beating so hard against my chest, my palms sweating, and my breathing starting to pick up. It was as if I was about to perform onstage with millions of people watching. As if I'm about to go bungee jumping. The same way felt when that mugger almost had me. When Miyavi tackled me down. My head kept burning with those feelings, and I couldn't understand it at first. Then, I saw Mao's eyes. They changed into a fascinating blood red, almost like Reita's. I realized that it was _him_ who made me feel this sudden anxiety. "I control you emotions." he murmured as I felt myself slowly calm down. He smiled. "You okay?" he asked. I sighed sharply. "You..." I broke into laughter. "How can you ask that while smiling?" I asked, and he eyed me as if I were insane. Then, he joined me as we laughed softly. "Don't you know? Each member of the ShiFu stand for each original Shichi Fukujin?" he asked me. I shook my head. "Watashi wa Hotei, desu." he tried to say with a deep voice. I cracked a smile. Then he started posing like a god, which made me laugh harder. The day continued with us walking around the mansion's gardens, talking and laughing about silly things. I can't honestly remember the last time I laughed this hard. We lay down on the cool grass and watched the fluffy clouds. When night time came, we caught fireflies and lay down under the moon light. Mao was easy to be with, and that's that. "Don't trip, okay? Good night." he called to me after dinner. I laughed for what seemed like the millionth time before climbing up the stairs. I sat on my desk and started organizing my stuff for school. That's when I heard a sudden movement, and I immediately knew it was Reita. "How was your day?" he asked me. "Great." I answered, then smiled to myself. "Mao... you don't have... feelings... for him... right?" he asked with reluctance in his voice. I tried hard not to smile. He was jealous, I can see that. "Right?" he urged, his voice a bit anxious now. "No." I answered as I struggled to keep on a straight face. I heard him sigh. "Okay, then." he said, and he was gone. I smiled to myself as I lay down on my bed. Impossible. Reita was jealous... of Mao? He was kidding, right?

Right?


	7. Jealousy II

I couldn't stop thinking of Reita being jealous over Mao... even though it's been a week. I don't laugh at the thought anymore, but instead, I kind of feel guilty. I don't know why. Maybe because Reita saved my life, and that he didn't deserve to be jealous? Maybe. But it was something deeper, I was sure of it. I would tease him sometimes, suddenly hugging Mao or spending more time with Mao. Kai and Miyavi would sometimes round up a game, and pairs me up with Mao in the end. It was crazy. Mao didn't seem to mind though, whatever makes me happy. We would hang out most of the time, and it was fun. He never ran out of jokes and stories, which I loved listening to. But the happiness was always cut short when I see Reita's blood red eyes peering right through my soul. There would be a sudden twinge of guilt, and he would look away. He would pretend to do something, or simply turn and walk away. It was weird on so many levels. As I walked to where Ruki and the others were, I suddenly remembered something. My wallet. Reita had it. "Miyavi-niichan, where is Reita-kun?" I asked. "Eh? Eto... Maybe he just got out of class..." Miyavi replied. I ran for it. I knew where his classroom was. On the way, I saw him near his locker. "Rei-" I stopped abruptly at what I saw. A freshman girl stood in front of him, her head slightly bowed. "Ano... Senpai..." she stammered. "Call me Reita-kun, onegai." he said. "A-ah. Sou desu... Reita... kun... can I borrow your necklace?" she asked. I felt my foot step back. "Eh? This one?" he asked as he touched the large cross that hung around his neck on a thick, silver chain. It was made of pure silver, and it had his name carved on it vertically. I knew it well because Miyavi himself made that for Reita. "Hai. That's the one." she replied. Reita looked down at it for a moment before looking back at the short girl in front of him. He bent his head down again, and his hands travelled to the back of his neck. He unfastened it, and carefully set it on his palm. He stepped forward until he was beside the girl, shoulder to shoulder. He pressed it against her stomach, and whispered something that I didn't understand. He smiled, and my head felt like it was on fire. I stepped back and ran. I ran to the nearest bathroom and locked myself in a cubicle. I leaned against the wall and sighed. My heart was pounding. What was wrong with me? It's alright if someone borrows Reita's necklace... right? I buried my face into my palms. I wasn't... jealous... wasn't I? I went out and washed my face before going back to the guys. I saw Mao, and immediately sat down beside him. "Are you okay? You look flushed." Aoi said. I nodded, and felt myself calming down. I turned to Mao, and he simply smiled. "Thank you." I whispered. He winked. I silently ate, and soon after Reita joined us. "Uo, Reita-kun where were you?" Ruki asked. "Somewhere" was his reply. He sat down, chatting casually with Miyavi. Maybe he didn't see me back there. "Oh, Reita-nee, where's your pendant?" Mao asked. Argh. "Eh? Eto..." he stole a glance at me before pretending to check on his shirt. "Oh, yeah. A freshman borrowed it." he said. "Some kind of scavenger hunt, I think." I looked away. I didn't like being reminded of the fact that I was jealous of someone that wasn't even mine to begin with. The school day went on as usual. A bit boring, but my head was spinning. It was good that there was only one assignment, or else the dizziness would get worse. I sat down on the sofa and started on my homework, not even bothering to change out of my uniform. I studied (or, at least, pretended to) in all subjects, even though I wasn't having any trouble with the lessons. I was trying to distract my mind. Away from that moment. Away from Reita. I flinched when I heard the door open. Reita walked in with only a white polo and dark jeans on. "Hey." he said. I didn't answer. I heard him walk behind me. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Nanimonai." I mumbled. I heard a noise, and his lips were hovering near my ear. "Jealous?" he whispered. I gulped. "No." I said, but my voice broke. He laughed softly. "My, my. My hanayome is jealous..." he murmured as his fingers played with my hair. "N-no!" I protested. He saw right through me. I hate it. "You're horribly cute when you're jealous... It's hard to resist taking you when you're like this..." he murmured, and I felt his breath washing over my face. He kissed my cheek softly and went off.


	8. For Now

"Aki-chan, ikose."

My fingers interlaced gently with Reita's as we walked to Uruha's waiting car. I didn't mind, but his hand felt warm against mine. I saw some of the juniors whispering and murmuring to each other. I grimaced. Were they talking about us? Reita nudged me lightly, and slightly pulled me closer to him. "Don't mind them." he whispered. I nodded once. We reached Uruha's car, with Miyavi-niichan leaning on the back. Kai was chatting with him as Miyavi smoked. Mao soon joined us. "Geez, Meevs. Must you smoke all the time?" Mao complained, waving a hand in front of his face. Miyavi just chuckled. As Uruha drove us home, Kai scolded them. "Aoi, I saw bloodstains on your shirt last night." he said. Aoi sighed in irritation. "Aoi's messy when it comes to hunting." Mao snickered to himself. "Speak for yourself," Kai retorted. It was Reita's turn to laugh. "At least I have a different way." Reita said. "Right?" he whispered to me. I flinched back, and nodded slightly. I figured that if Reita had his way, he'd annoy me less. His eyes were skeptical for a moment, before he flashed a small smile. "Reita." Kai snapped. Reita turned to glare at Kai. Kai didn't react, and the topic was over. These guys were touchy when it came to hunting. Maybe because Kai, our fearless and compassionate leader, imposed a "low profile rule". That meant no attacking in public, even in dark alleys, and no luring of gullible club whores into the mansion just to get their blood fix. Miyavi hated that.

From the backseat, I saw Kai suddenly tense. His back arched slightly, and his fists curled into balls on his lap. He might have ripped his own skin out if he wasn't in control. Aoi's eyes suddenly furrowed together as he saw the action. It was silent until we went home, until... "Uruha." Kai said in a commanding tone. Uruha merely nodded and followed Kai upstairs. I raised an eyebrow. What was that all about. Kai wasn't thirsty around me... wasn't he? "Come on." Reita urged as he took my hand. He led me up the winding staircase and into his room. We always did this for the past few weeks. It was just the two of us alone in his room, and he always locked the door. He didn't want to be disturbed. I've gotten pretty much used to it now, so I don't complain. He sat me on his bed before taking his jacket off, revealing his well-toned body underneath his fitted shirt. He was suddenly leaning toward me, his face on my neck and his cool breath tickling my skin. "You don't even fight back anymore." he whispered, seemingly amused. I gulped, and merely closed my eyes. Any time now... I bit my lip and finched slightly as his razor sharp fangs dug into my skin. His fangs were immediately replaced by his cold lips. He sucked roughly, and I felt slightly weaker. I clung to him for support, and heard him moan. His tongue licked the wound, and I felt it slightly burn. He pulled away with blood on his lips, and he licked them clean. He sighed, his eyes still closed. His lips curved to a condescending smile, as if... My head cocked to the side. "You taste sweet." he whispered as he brought my hand to his lips. His lips brushed lightly over my knuckles, and his eyes gently opened. He seems... amused. He shifted his position quickly, his arms wound around me and my head against his chest. "Yeah, this is better..." he murmured. It took me a minute to process it. I snuggled closer to him, my arms around his neck. He sighed approvingly. "Aki-chan, gomenasai... I won't be able to stay with you tonight." he whispered. I pulled back. "Eh? Why?" I asked. "Eto... Kai-kun asked me to go hunting with him. It's in his 'low profile thing'... so we can't hunt alone." he said. That was the longest explanation that I heard from him. "Okay, then..." I said. Reita always watched over me when I slept, except when he was hunting. He would always be at my bedside when I wake up from nightmares, when I couldn't sleep at all, even when I wake up in the morning. "Ja, let's go study now?" he said as he pinched my cheek softly. I cringed away from his hand. "Ikou~" he said as he took my hand.

xXx-[ ]-xXx

*Reita POV

I watched solemnly as her eyes gently closed. I could hear her breathe in soft sighs as she slept. Moonlight illuminated her pale, radiant face. I couldn't help myself from touching her soft skin, even just for a short while. I gently caressed her face, and she stirred a little. Thankfully, she didn't wake up. Somehow, I felt a knot on my chest. This girl... how would I protect her now? She's gotten too involved... The door creaked open, and Mao peeked in. "Reita-kun, ikose." he whispered. I sighed as I took one last look at my angel and left. We effortlessly went to the basement, and Mao pushed the cabinet aside easily. Behind it was an old staircase, leading to our private space. As we went down, the dim light illuminated the other five. Miyavi, Ruki, Uruha, Aoi and Kai were already seated at their places, and we hurried to ours. "What did you see?" Aoi asked Kai. All eyes were on him. "I didn't see him." Kai responded. "I caught his scent." "Who?" Ruki asked. "Nao." My eyes went wide. If Nao was here... then... "He wasn't alone. Maybe the others went back with him." Uruha explained. "Do you think _he_..." Miyavi asked. Kai shook his head. "I don't know. But it might be possible." Kai said with worry thick in his voice. His eyes turned to me. "Be alert. We don't know when they might make a move. If they catch Reita's scent on Aki, we're dead." he said. I sighed deeply. I didn't like how that sounded. "What about his venom?" Mao asked. "Doesn't that leave a trace?" We all looked at each other. He was right. The venom I use to heal my bites on Aki would leave a small trace of my scent on her. "Then we confuse him." Ruki answered promptly. "Him?" Uruha asked, eyeing him as if he were insane. "How many?" I asked. Kai looked worried. "Five." he answered, counting in his head. "Five?" Miyavi scoffed as he leaned back. "Let them come! They're outnumbered, considering what our abilities can do." he said. I rolled my eyes. Miyavi was so cocky at this. "We need to mix up her scent. Different jacket everyday. Maybe a watch. Anything with a different scent smoldered on it." Kai said. "That's it? That's what all we're going to do?" Miyavi asked, impatience was eminent in his voice. Kai gazed on each one of us, and sighed as he nodded.

"For now."


	9. History

"Aren't you going to tell me anything about you?"

I asked as I walked closely near Reita. He stopped, and so did I. He eyed me carefully, and cocked an eyebrow in response. "No one told you yet?" he asked me. I shook my head in reply. He thought for a moment, and took my hand.

"Let me show you, then." He said and led me to an unfamiliar corridor. "You see, I hated this house." he started as he slowed down a bit. The walls were lined with old portraits and vases, some paintings and old items too. "I was a good liar when I was a child. I can make anyone believe me. We lived peacefully... until when the war broke out." he said. We came across one photograph of a field. The field was lined with tanks, and soldiers. "I was kidnapped. They asked me where my father was. It occurred to me that my father was an information carrier to the Americans in the second World War. I was... seventeen." he said. There was sudden pain in his eyes as he had us walking again. "Then... I was thrown to _them_." he said, and cringed. "A cult full of vampires. They wanted the truth out of me, so..." He pushed his sleeves back, and numerous scars were visible in the dim light. They were almost like... "Whips. I was tortured. Funny that my lies couldn't save me at the time." he laughed bitterly at the memory. He stopped abruptly when we came to a gray, metal door. His hand wrapped gently around the door handle. He opened the door to a sort of chamber. There were nothing but gray walls, until he flicked the light on. Dim, orange light filled the room, and I flinched back. There were no windows. There was a metal chair in the corner, and chains snaked all over the floor. On top of that, there were bloodstains smeared all over the room. On the ceiling, the walls, the floor and chains... even on the chair. "This was my torture chamber." Reita said, his voice grave and sad. "You can't imagine the tremendous pain they put me through. Then... one of them saved me." he paused and sighed. "He came back for me and snuck me out. I wasn't going to survive, so he bit me." I saw him flinch at the painful memory, and agony lined his voice. "When we moved here, I didn't want this room to be cleaned out. These blood-"he touched the blood stains on the wall"-are my human blood." I breathed in shock. This was... indescribable. Instinctively, I bent down to touch one of the many blood splatters across the floor. It was painful to see him like this. Maybe I shouldn't have asked about it. I felt him move behind me, and I slowly stood up. "Then again, if I didn't become a vampire... I wouldn't have met you, wouldn't I?" he said, a small smile leaking through his voice. I stood up, my eyes wide in shock. I calmed myself down, and I felt Reita's hand on my shoulder. "Maybe I shouldn't be alive, but where's the fun in all that? Somebody has to be the troublemaker at some point, right?" he joked. He gave a small laugh before wrapping his arms around my waist. He let his head fall onto my shoulder and sighed deeply. I gently touched his arms and closed my eyes. I could feel his scars; most of them were thick. "It must have been hard." I whispered. "Yes, it was. Painful..." he murmured, and his arms tightened around me. He slowly pulled back, and my body seemed to react to his painful words. I slowly faced him and stared seeply into his unfathomable eyes. They seemed to convey deeper emotions than normal. Anxiety, guilt, bitterness... agony. He stepped closer to me, and I froze. His lips were at my hairline, and I could feel his cool breath wash over my face. My fingers found his, and he inhaled deeply. "Somehow... when I'm with you... I forget. I forget everything. All the pain, the sadness... I lose it all and drown in your sweet scent. I feel your warmth, and I wish I could never let go." he said, and ended in a low whisper. I didn't know what to answer, so I kept silent. "You make me feel everything until I'm desensitized... and I'm loving it. Every single moment of it." He was murmuring now, almost as if he was losing himself. I heard him breathe, and felt him smile. "Sorry. It may sound weird, coming from a vampire." he apologized. "No heart, no soul." he whispered to himself. My eyes opened. "That's not true." I countered. "If you didn't have a heart, you wouldn't be able to _feel_..." I whispered as I pulled my right hand free from his, and gently caressed his face. I felt his hand on mine. "Aki." he whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Ehem."

I jumped at the sound of someone clearing his throat. We both turned to the door, where Aoi and Mao was standing. Reita pulled me closer to himself, almost protectively. "It's cool if you don't want to come. Ruki wanted to come to, anyway..." Aoi said. "I'll be there." Reita replied coolly, and the two were gone. He led me out of the room, and the metal door slammed shut behind us. "Where are you going?" I asked. "Hunting." "Again?" That was the fourth time this week. He didn't elaborate more on the topic. I had to let it go... for now. We walked past the familiar corridor, and to the living room of the mansion. Aoi, Ruki and Mao were already there. "Let's go?" Mao asked. "Let's." Aoi replied with a huff. Reita turned to me and kissed my forehead gently. And then, he was gone.


	10. Sudden

It was the normal day at school. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened all through out the day, thankfully. After finishing my last subject, I breathed a sigh of relief. I can actually focus more on my schoolwork now, considering that I quitted my job. Also, things between me and Reita are starting to get better. Having him around wasn't a nuisance anymore. I hoped the day would progress on as usual, but it was as if fate itself didn't let a day pass without anything unexpected.

"Oh my god."

I turned to my left, to see my classmate, Suzumi. Shock and horror was seen on her face. The entire corridor of students seemed to bear the same expression. I wonder why. That's when I saw it. On her hand was _the card_. The heavy black paper, the silver Heart Sutra... and faint traces of blood. Suzumi gasped in shock. I felt my blood boil under my skin. My head started pounding. In a second, I was running. I ran through the corridors and blazed past students. I hurriedly went up the stairs. I didn't care that I was panting, or if I looked rude to other students. Only one group was responsible of giving the card to the students, and I knew who. I opened the door to the rooftop, where all of them would be hanging out. My eyes immediately spotted the blonde I was looking for. "Reita!" I called to him. Sure enough, he turned to me. I pushed him back by the shoulders, and his water bottled crashed to the floor. "Why?" I asked, too infuriated to ask a coherent question. "What?" was all he replied. I got impatient. "Why did you give her the card?" I demanded. He looked confusingly at Kai before answering. "I knew nothing about it!" he defended, his hands raised in the air in surrender. "Honestly! The last time we gave a card out was when you got it." he added. They all looked confused now. "Who makes those cards?" I asked. "I do." Kai said. "I write the Sutra myself. Who got the card?" "Suzumi." They all gave each other nervous looks. "We haven't given out any card to any student ever since you recieved it, Aki." Kai said. "Honestly." I was thrown slightly aback at his words. "Aki-chan..." Reita whispered as he reluctantly stepped towards me. I stepped back, and I could see the hurt in his eyes. "I'm just- give me a moment." I almost whispered before I started sprinting. I ran down the stairs and to the nearest bathroom. I locked myself in a cubicle and sat on the floor. My hands were trembling, and I was panting. If ShiFu didn't give the card... then who did? It was impossible to replicate it _perfectly_. Whoever did that was insane.

Maybe much more insane than I thought.

xXx-[ ]-xXx

"This is crazy." Mao said as he approached our lunch table. Things have calmed down between me and ShiFu, but the insane part was just beginning. "How many?" Miyavi asked. "Five." I gasped softly. People were disppearing mysteriously in the school, and we have no idea why or how. We couldn't piece it together. The kids range from honor students to almost dropouts, different interests and even gender couldn't link it together. It was random selection, for sure. Nothing tied it together, except for the fact that they're all in our school. My hand curled into a ball on my lap. We have to stop it _somehow_. Mao leaned closer to us and whispered. "Blood all over the abandoned locker rooms." Reita's crimson eyes flashed to Kai. "Nobody goes there anymore. Right?" Kai asked. All of them nodded. Aoi sighed in frustration. No matter how hard he tried, this was one problem he couldn't reason with. My heard accelerated. "Shh. Don't worry." Reita whispered in my ear. I couldn't get rid of this feeling. That nagging feeling that...

...I'm next.


	11. You're Next

"So... that's it?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Disappointing."

"I know. No records at all."

"I'm starting to think all of this revolve around the Shichi Fukujin."

"Maybe, maybe not."

Reita and I continued talking about the 'mystery' as we walked to our lockers. More disapperances, but no clues. We tried asking the maintenance and training teams, but they only shrugged. No screaming, shadows, or whatever. As the hunt progressed, it became more and more hard to piece together. "If only we could find one common string." Reita sighed as we walked. "Yeah.." I said and dodged the janitor mopping the corridor floors. It was more disturbing with the fact that more blood stains appear in the abandoned buildng as more people disappear in school. The students are racked but... Then it hit me. I stopped. "Aki?" "Reita... I think I found it." "What do you mean?" I exhaled sharply. Of course, it was so obvious! How could I not notice before. I looked back at the janitor and gasped. "Aki? What is it?" "Students... they're all students." I breathed. "What?" "Don't you see it, Reita?" I asked, gesturing to the janitor. "They're all students. No teachers, maintenance..." I explained. He raised his eyebrows in shock. We continued walking. "Not one of the staff. All..." I whispered mostly to myself. I opened my locker door and gasped. I clamped my hand over my mouth. "Aki? What-" Reita stopped in his tracks as he saw it.

The card.

_No way._

He ripped it off my locker and took my hand. We ran through the halls and to the parking lot. "Kai!" Reita called out. Ruki and Uruha turned to us and Reita showed the black piece of paper in his hand. Ruki snatched it and scrutinized the card in his hand. "Not Kai's handwriting." he said. Aoi, seeing it, took it and sniffed it. "Not the blood we use, either." he said. They passed it around before Kai spoke. "Who got this?" he asked. My knees trembled. "I did." I admitted. "Oh my-" Uruha said and bit his lip. "We gotta get out of here." Kai said and nudged Uruha. Reita pulled me inside Miyavi's SUV as the others went inside Uruha's car. All my fear started to build up inside me. Was I going to disappear too? Would I survive? Would I ever see Reita... _my love_... again? Reita pulled me closer to him and kissed my forehead. "Don't worry. I'll take care of everything." he whispered. My vision slowly faded to black. Reita would always block my vision when he was trying to calm me down. I fell asleep soon, and woke up in my bedroom. I could hear voices outside. They were all agitated and desperate. I bowed my head down. I was causing all of this. My stomach twisted at the thought. What would happen to us now? The door slowly opened. "Ruki..." I recognized. "Hey. How do you feel?" he asked me. "I'm okay. But... where's Rei?" I asked. "He's preparing... we need to leave." he said. "Leave? Now? Where to?" I asked. He sat down beside me and sighed. "Kanagawa. Safest place to be. We'll come back when all this is settled." he explained. That was so sudden. I never even had the chance to say goodbye to my friends... "I'm sorry, but we'll come back as soon as we can." Ruki comforted. I forgot that Ruki can read minds. "I better get dressed then." I said as I pushed myself off the bed. "Okay. We'll be downstairs." he said before disappearing behind the door. Reita must have took some of my clothes. I pulled out some of the most comfortable pieces I have left, and combed my hair slowly. I sighed as I saw my reflection. My eyes stung and I looked down. This was the worst feeling ever. They're all doing anything to protect me, and here I am doing nothing. I heard a sigh as I felt a thumb wipe away my tears. "I'm sorry." Reita whispered as he rested his head on my shoulder. "I... cause you all this trouble..." he said in a broken voice. "Reita... I don't regret this." I said. "I don't regret any of what's happened for the past months. Because I... I..." The door slammed open. "Rei? Aki? Come on, let's go." Uruha called. Reita wasted no time. He carried me in his arms and ran down to the garage. He sat me in the backseat of Uruha's black car. "We split into groups. Don't let anyone follow you." Kai instructed. Miyavi got in the front seat and Uruha sat at the driver's seat. Reita sat beside me, and I watched the others pile into the other car and Aoi mounted on Reita's Harley. Reita held my hand tight in an effort to comfort me. "I'll keep you safe. Don't be afraid." he murmured. I took a deep breath and nodded before Uruha drove out of the mansion. I watched as we drove out of the city boundaries. I wonder how long before we could get back? Would I have time to catch up in school? Reita held my hand before clouding my vision. All I could see was black, and I felt his lips at my ear. "Go to sleep. We'll arrive in Kanagawa by tomorrow morning." he whispered. I sighed. Tomorrow.

_Tomorrow seems a long way off..._


	12. Encounter

It's been two days since we've arrived here in Kanagawa. It wasn't much of a difference, but it had a small town feel. Almost everyone knew each other, even the Shichi Fukujin. It kind of made me stand out as the _gaijin._

_Gaijin._

_I hate that word._

"Aki-chan?" Aoi nudged. "Are you okay?" Miyavi asked. I quickly nodded. "I-I'm okay." I assured with a quick nod. They all stared at each other. I felt Mao's intense stare on me, and I felt my heart calm down almost immediately. "I'm getting worried. Isn't it unfair that we left all those students in harm?" Uruha mumbled under his breath. "We have no choice." Mao replied lifelessly. His eyes were distracted, as if he was staring into space. "If these cases revolve around us, then whatever would be behind it would follow us here." Kai said. "We'll leave as soon as all of this is over." "I just hope it would end soon." I said. My voice sounded broken. Miyavi rubbed my back in an effort to comfort me. "Why don't you rest a bit, Aki? It's been a long day." Ruki advised. I nodded weakly and went to my 'temporary' room, as they called it. It was only a matter of seconds before Reita was soon with me, his eyes deep with concern. "Aki... You can stop pretending now." he said in a low voice. I lay down on the bed and sighed. I wanted to cry, but no tears flowed out. I cried so much that I ran out of tears... if that was humanly possible. "Are you hungry?" he asked as he sat down beside me. I shook my head. "You barely ate for the past days." I didn't care. I couldn't feel the hunger anymore, actually. I heard him lie down beside me, and I curled up against him. I felt his cold lips at my forehead. It wasn't long before he wasn't with me on the bed anymore. "Rei?" I asked, struggling to stand up. Reita was at the door, and he appeared to be listening. Whatever he could hear, that I don't know. His eyes were wide in shock and his pose was rigid and frozen. He held up a hand to stop me, and I waited in silence. After a long minute he was in front of me, his hand extended towards me. "Come on." he said invitingly. Reluctantly, I gave him my hand. The next thing I saw was a blur, and then the familiar living room downstairs. "Where was he?" Reita demanded as he sat me down on the couch. "I don't know, but he was near. He saw her," Ruki replied. "How could he get by without us knowing?" Aoi asked. Everyone shrugged. "Wait- what's going on?" I demanded. Kai looked at me with concern. "It's about time she knows about it, Kai." Miyavi said from the corner. "Know about what?" I asked. "Gackt." Uruha replied. The name wasn't familiar at all, and I was pretty sure that Reita never mentioned that name to me. "He... is Miyavi's half-brother. Also... he... tortured Reita." Kai's words were reluctant. I heard a strong wind, and Reita was out of the room. "You see, Miyavi joined a cult of vampires with his half-brother, Gackt. They killed and tortured humans for fun..." Kai continued, a but slower now. "...I hated it after a while." Miyavi spoke. "I didn't want to see innocent humans die. Gackt loved it, ironically. Sadistic bastard." He smiled bitterly. "Reita was one of his victims." I bit my tongue. "Kai came for him, and I helped them escape." Miyavi said. I heard Aoi sigh, and Mao softly patted his back. "You don't have to listen if you hate the story." Kai assured the others. "It's not that we hate the story, Kai." Uruha replied. "It's the next part we really don't like listening to." "Reita's at the roof." Miyavi said. In two seconds, Mao, Uruha, Aoi and Ruki were gone. Kai, Miyavi and I were left alone. "So... Gackt hated Miyavi for that... and got back at Miyavi." Kai said, ending the topic. "Got back at him how?" I asked. The two looked at each other. "That part can wait." Miyavi mumbled. My shoulders slumped. Wasn't I supposed to know? Maybe Reita could tell me? "I'll take it from here." Reita said as he was suddenly behind me. I jumped in surprise. "Ruki said Gackt delivered a message." He continued with his hand at my shoulder. "What did he say?" Kai asked. Reita hesitated. His eyes flashed to mine before he spoke. "He wanted to see us."

xXx-[ ]-xXx

"This is insane."

Miyavi huffed before kicking the metal door open, and leading us inside the large warehouse. "Insane or not, we should oblige. We're guests here in Kanagawa, after all." Ruki replied. I was guessing that that was Kai's answer, but Ruki got it from his head. "He's right you know." a low, ghostly voice said from behind us. I suddenly felt goosebumps on my skin. There was a dark laugh, and the light flicked on. Five dark figures stood at the center of the warehouse. Reita's hand tightened around mine. "I didn't expect you to come back here, Kai. Welcome home." one of them said. "Glad to be back." Kai answered casually. "We should introduce ourselves, gang. We shouldn't be rude to our... new guest." the tallest of them said, his smile was conniving and his eyes were glowing red. "Shou, Hiroto, Nao, Saga." he motioned towards the other four as he introduced them. "Gackt." he introduced himself, giving a slight bow. He acted like a gentleman, even for the fact that this vamire had tortured _my love._ "It's hard to see her in this dim light." Shou mumbled under his breath. "I'm sorry, but... may I see you?" Nao asked gently. Reita stiffened. Mao's eyes glowed. "It's okay." Kai assured. I reluctantly stepped into the pool of light, and Gackt was suddenly right in front of me. He captured my hand with his, and brought it to his lips. I gasped softly at the coldness of his skin. "You are indeed beautiful, Aki..." he murmured. "You remind me of something..." He handed me a rose, and I reluctantly took it. He smiled at my cooperation. "... or someone." he breathed as he let my hand go. I bit my lips. "Miyavi." Ruki breathed, his eyes averted elsewhere. "He has-" Miyavi's teeth clenched together, his hands curling into fists. "Oh, yes. I do remember. She's yours, if I'm not mistaken?" Gackt asked Miyavi with innocence. "You..." Miyavi growled. I heard laughter. "Oh, so she's Meev's?" Saga said between laughs. "Where did you bag that angel?" Nao asked. Shou licked his lips. "Sweetest blood I've ever tasted." I gasped, and Reita pulled me back. I found myself in his arms, behind Uruha and Kai. Aoi was holding Miyavi back. "Whatever you do... don't hurt Melody!" Miyavi snarled. My eyes widened in shock. The lights went off, and the evil laughter echoed off the empty walls.


	13. Lucky, Unlucky

The cold wind blew against me as I walked through the streets. I was on my way home from a quick errand, eager to get away from the cold. I've always hated the cold. It always seemed to get in between something. Between me and Reita, between the whole group. I hated it. It always gets in the fucking way. With Miyavi's inclined senses, he came to us with the news this morning.

_" Thunderstorm will hit Kanagawa by tonight."_

Because of that, I insisted on dropping by the grocery store tonight. Just a few drinks, snacks and coffee. Fewer people were in the streets now, unlike in Tokyo. Homesickness took over me, and I wondered when would we get back. Another breeze blew past, and I shivered. Not only because it was cold, but because that wind felt different. As if it was... something. Something that moved gracefully fast. I turned the corner and stopped in surprise. Has it always been this dark in this street? I don't remember... "Hello, love." a low, menacing voice said from behind me. I gasped, and my body was suddenly frozen. I willed my body to move, but it was paralyzed from head to toe. He moved in front of me, and I gasped as I saw his face. He was one of Gackt's companions, for sure. I could recognize him. If I remember correctly he was... Hiroto. "It's your lucky day, love." he whispered, his hand caressing my jawline. I felt him release his control over my body, and I collapsed hard against the cold pavement. My vision started swirling, and I was panting for breath. I heard a ghostly chuckle. _Reita..._ I wanted to speak, but I couldn't. I was positive that Reita could hear me even if I was here, but my body felt weak and heavy. I felt Hiroto carry me in his arms before I fainted completely.

xXx-[ ]-xXx

I woke up to a room. My vision was still blurry to see anything clearly. I could feel shackles on my wrists, and my hand flew to my head. I was still dizzy from whatever Hiroto did to me. I heard chains clanking together as I moved my hand, and the door suddenly opened. A tall figure came in, and it didn\'t take a genius to know who it was. "Ah, you're finally awake." He said in relief. He crouched down to my level and smiled. He caressed my face, and I looked away. I didn't like the way he touched me. It felt wrong because only Reita can touch me like that. "Don't worry. Your friends will be here any minute now." he assured. I glared at him in reply. If he was going to kill me, why not do it now? Why wait for the others to see it? "Kill me." I pleaded in a soft whisper. Gackt chuckled. "Not now, dearest. I haven't had my fun yet..." he murmured, his lustful eyes scanning my entire body as he licked his lips. It was uncomfortable. I feel naked, and it didn't feel right that he was staring at me like that.

The door opened with a loud bang, and I jumped in shock. "They're here." he whispered, seemingly amused. He stood up and faced the seven dark figures standing near the doorway. "You're a sick piece of work, aren't you?" Miyavi said. He was leading now, and not Kai. "As if taking Melody from me wasn't enough." Gackt laughed at his words. "I was merely doing my job, brother." "You lost the right to call me brother seventy years ago." Miyavi growled. His eyes glowed, and he looked different. For a moment there, he looked... like a vampire. They moved so fast that I couldn't see where it was all going. Five others joined Gackt, and they kept on fighting. They moved so fast that all I could see were shadows and blurs. "No!" I heard someone shout. I felt a cold hand at my arm, and I turned to see Gackt. He smiled devilishly before sinking his fangs into my wrist. Pain engulfed my wrist, and soon, my arm. I screamed in pain. This was different... the pain was worse than when Reita claimed me. I could feel the pain spreading to my shoulder. "Mao, get him!" I heard someone say. I couldnt recognize their voices anymore. "Aki... Aki, stay with me." I heard Reita's voice say as he held my hand tight. I couldn't answer him-the pain was too much. "Kai!" he called out. I saw Kai suddenly kneeling down beside him. "Fucking bloodline. Venom's too poisonous." Kai said. He took my wrist and wrapped something tight around the crease of my arm. "It won't stop." Reita said. My vision was fading now. "Reita... you're immune to venom." Kai reminded. Silence followed, aside from the snapping and crunching sounds from the far side of the room. "No." Reita breathed. "You can do it." "I can't. I'll kill her." "No, you won't. Do it Reita, or she'll be..." Kai didn't finish his sentence. I yelped as I felt the pain rise in my chest. "Reita, do it!" Kai commanded. I felt cold lips at my wrist, sucking roughly. The pain suddenly retracted. Most of the burning sensation was in my wrist now. "She's not gonna make it." Reita breathed. "Bite her." Kai said. "What?" "I said bite her!" I flinched as the pain suddenly stung. "Fucking bite her, Reita!" Kai commanded. I gasped as my vision was completely out. I could hear the snapping and crunching sounds from the far corner of the room. I felt something warm hover over my neck, and a soft whisper. "Aki... I love you." I felt my eyes widen. HIs fangs sunk deep into my neck, and I gasped in pain. My senses were useless, for all I could feel was pain. I felt like my body was on fire. After what seemed like hours and hours of agonizing pain, I saw...

...light.


	14. Hanayome

_Light. Everywhere._

"Aki?" Reita? Was that him? I opened my eyes, and saw nothing but the dark. Where was I? "Aki? Can you hear me?" I groped around. I was... on a bed? I still couldn\'t see where I was. All I could hear was breathing... and a soft whirring. "W-where am I?" I managed to ask. "We're at the hospital," he replied. My head was spinning, and all I could feel was his hand on mine. I could hear footsteps along the hallway... a beeping ECG... faint but distinct voices... something sizzling... Is it just me or my hearing has gotten... sharper?

"Reita..."

"Yes?"

"I can't see."

I heard him sigh. "We have to bind your eyes for now, so that you won't get tired..." he explained. His voice was struggling. "Am I a vampire now?" I asked. I felt him smile. "No... you're... Dhampir." Oh. So that explains the weird hearing thing. I bit my lip as I felt a sting at my neck. "Anything hurt?" he asked. My hand flew to my neck. "Ah... the venom's not done yet. It might hurt once in a while..." he said. Everything was so quiet after that. I wonder where the others were? I could feel his lips brush lightly against my knuckles. While everything was quiet, I struggled with my memory. All I could remember was the pain... how Kai ordered Reita to bite me... Gackt... "Reita... you bit me, didn't you?" I asked. He exhaled sharply, and I could tell this was the question he was avoiding. "I didn't have a choice." he murmured sadly. "I couldn't let you die just like that." My heart leaped. I remembered something... but I wasn't sure if it was true. It seemed so real... I was so lost in my thought that I didn't realize that I was smiling. "What're you thinking?" Reita asked me. "I just remembered something... but I don't know if it's real." I replied. I felt him cock his head to the side. "Tell me." he urged. I bit my lip hesitantly before speaking. "You said you loved me." I admitted and bit my tongue. Maybe I really shouldn't have said that...

"I wasn't lying."

"W-what do you-" "You heard me. I said I wasn't lying." No way. I felt my free hand curl into the sheets. "Aki." I didn't answer. I would cry if I could. "Aki, I-" Reita was cut off by the sound of the door opening. He immediately let go of my hand. "Ah, Aki-chan. You're finally awake." I heard a voice say. Was that... Aoi? "Aki!" Undoubtedly that was Ruki. He jumped to the side of my bed and pulled me to a gentle hug. "Hey, Ruki." I smiled. "How do you feel?" Kai asked me as Ruki let me go. "Eh... I feel a bit dizzy... and uncomfortable." I tried to explain. "I wish I could heal you myself, but that would mess some things up..." he said apologetically. "It's okay, Kai-niichan. I can wait." I assured him. "Yeah, about that... I heard you wake up so I told the nurse... They said you'll be discharged by tomorrow." Aoi said. I nodded. "Unfortunately... you still can't take the gauze off yet." Uruha said. "Why not?" I asked. I won't be able to see anything yet? "Yeah, well... Kai, tell her." Reita said. I heard him nudge Kai and scratch his head. "Yeah, well... you're too strong for a Dhampir, Aki. With Gackt's and Reita's venom combined, it got three-fourths of your blood... so... you're stronger than usual." Kai explained hesitantly. "And... my eyes?" I asked. "You'll see." he said. Pft. Like I'll be able to see it in this state. After a few hours, the others said they had to explain to the school of our absence. Reita, of course, insisted that he be left behind. "As I was saying." he said when they were gone. I gave a small laugh. "I'm quite frustrated about this." he admitted with a bitter laugh. "It's been a crazy year and I haven't even made you my _hanayome_ yet." "Eh? I thought you already made me your hanayome?" I asked in confusion. "Yeah, but that's not enough to complete the process." he explained. I felt him sit down beside me and rest his head on mine. I sighed sadly. "How do I complete it, then?" I asked. "Well... you have to kiss me." he said. I cocked an eyebrow. "Don't lie." I said. "I'm not lying!" he said with a laugh. "Eh..." I couldn't think straight. "Fine, if you don't want to then-" "Reita, wait!" I pulled him to me, and our lips met in a fevered rush. It was a different feeling, and it sent my heart to a serious overdrive. It was my first time to kiss anyone, and I felt nervous. I felt something weird wash over me, and I gasped into his lips. Reita pulled away, and exhaled. Our foreheads touched and he smiled. "I never said it had to be on the lips, but... that'll work." he said. I pushed him away gently, playfully. "Oh, you suck!" I said.


End file.
